Work Case #21 DRZ400 in 2019 + Fun 'n Games in 2020

[Tramp]

Excellent story and I good recovery

You can't beat carrying a flask with you. Mine gets plenty of use, can you see it ?

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your always stopping for a picnic ....yep a flask is a must these days of solo isloation riding....

[Thedktor]

Nice one Steve
That DR350 you sold medeveloped an issue with starter switch that would stick every now and then.
Found that the small catch that the spring sat on to help return the button had worn so not no caontact could be made to then start the bike needed to get a whole new switch in the end. sorted out no problem
Maybe a similar issue with kill switch???

On the DRZ there is a minor "known issue" where the kill switch sticks in. It is designed to stay in when pushed, and the easiest fix is to remove the bit inside the holds it - the switch will then not stay pushed in i.e. you have to push and hold.

[Thedktor]

Where was I, oh, yes doing daft things on a bike [again!]. Moving the story on to August last year I was 30 miles from home, near Tidworth, and the bike started to behave erratically, randomly revving up on its own. In fact, it kept going when I wanted to slow down until it became quite dangerous - I had to stop!

Checked the throttle cable and found this:

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Oh dear, some strands had snapped, not at the end like normal but somewhere further down inside the cable where I couldn't get to.

This jammed the cable solid, and, well, I don't usually carry a spare. I do instead check my cables regularly, but of course, I don't have x-ray specs and this one caught me out.


Well, that's me in a right pickle then, gonna have to start phoning for assistance! Or is there some other way of getting home....??

My little moment of inspiration is to set the bike at a fast idle and ride home, at an obviously slow speed. Did it work? erm no! - there was just enough power to reach about 5 mph in first gear, and that was it


OK..... well I'm not giving up on this as we were at least moving. So I turned the idle screw all the way in until the engine was doing about 5000rpm Of course, what you have to consider is that it only takes a tiny throttle opening to rev the engine so there was still no power, but we could now do about 15 mph yeaaaay!


Well this will do, and will at least get me home quicker than calling someone out. And so I continued - 15mph up hill and a screaming 25mph down.

Not ideal but hey.

Junctions were a little tricky, and quite embarrassing with the engine idling so high, so I tried using the kill switch at the last minute, and if all clear, release the switch and carry on. This just resulted in a massive backfire from the exhaust, drawing even more attention to the idiot on a motorbike as I roared off at a giddy 15 mph

But 25 downhill, son.

[chunky butt]

excellent...where there's a will there's a way

[Thedktor]

Yes I was quite pleased to get home!

The next story is erm, slightly different ....

[Brenhden]

That's brilliant!

[bill_qaz]

Great story, push pull throttles are good as you can use the shut cable as the open cable as a get you home. Had a friend who got his bike stuck in bog while on his own, he did your trick but with it in gear pushed from the back to get it out, then ran after it till it fell over

[Sanqhar]

Back in the 1960s I had a 80cc scooter. Once when the throttle cable broke I tied a piece of string direct to the carb and worked it with my knee. Got me the couple of miles home.

tom

[Ksithumper]

In the late 70s a pal of mine bought a (rear engined) Hillman Imp at an evening car auction, riding home with him the throttle cable broke.
Half an hour of splendid bodging later - utilising some of the original cable, a length of fence wire found in the hedge and a pair of DM bootlaces - we were on our way again. Our 'cable' came through a louvre in the engine cover, down the side of the car, through the drivers window and behind his head, so that I, the passenger, could operate the throttle while he did everything else. We quickly got the hang of pulling away, though gear changes were a laugh until we got things (sort of) synchronised. Half way home I got bored, so took to yanking full throttle at inopportune moments, then slowing right down so we nearly stalled etc etc. I still laugh at the memory of the poor Imp kangaroo-hopping violently through one village at about 12mph and later hurtling round a tight bend, tyres squealing, me full on the throttle, him with both feet on the brake pedal trying desperately to slow the plot down and keep us out of the ditch. About 40 rural miles home, in the dark, and we were in stitches all the way. Happy days.

[daveuprite]

In the late 70s a pal of mine bought a (rear engined) Hillman Imp at an evening car auction, riding home with him the throttle cable broke.
Half an hour of splendid bodging later - utilising some of the original cable, a length of fence wire found in the hedge and a pair of DM bootlaces - we were on our way again. Our 'cable' came through a louvre in the engine cover, down the side of the car, through the drivers window and behind his head, so that I, the passenger, could operate the throttle while he did everything else. We quickly got the hang of pulling away, though gear changes were a laugh until we got things (sort of) synchronised. Half way home I got bored, so took to yanking full throttle at inopportune moments, then slowing right down so we nearly stalled etc etc. I still laugh at the memory of the poor Imp kangaroo-hopping violently through one village at about 12mph and later hurtling round a tight bend, tyres squealing, me full on the throttle, him with both feet on the brake pedal trying desperately to slow the plot down and keep us out of the ditch. About 40 rural miles home, in the dark, and we were in stitches all the way. Happy days.

Good story. I love this kind of primitive bodging and improvising. Great days.